Knitting-machine.



G. W. LINDLEY.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1a, 1913.

Patented June 23, 1914.

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A TTORNEY W/TNESES I I iaideat /j [Mr G. W. LINDLEY'. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION fILED JULY 18, 1913. 1, 1 00,750. Patented June 23, 1914.

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I K H INVENTOR WITNESSES I y 4b GEORGE w. LINDLEY, or PHILAbEHH IA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters fatent. Patented J 11119 23, 1914,

Application filed July 18, 1913. Serial No. 779,655.

To all whom it may concernb Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LINDLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting- Machines, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to, the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof,

My present invention'relates to knitting machines of the kind known as edgers, in which pattern work, such as the. embroidery or edging used for trimming underwear, is knit by means of needles carried by a reciprocating needle bar and a plurality of sets of yarn or thread guides which are automatically adjustedto carry the threads or yarns into and out of position to be knit into the work by the needles in accordance with the pattern to be produced. In the long used and well known type of machine for this purpose to which my invention pertains, the diiferent sets of yarn or thread guides are 'carriedby slides mounted in a rockingframe. The axis of rotation of the rocking frame, and the direction in which f fecting the rocking movements in 'a manner permitting a higher speed of operation than has heretofore been obtainable with machines of this character.

' The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and of the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described one formof apparatus embodying my invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is an end ele-,

vation of amachine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation, with parts brokenaway, of the machine shown in Fig.

l; and Fig. 3,1s an end elevation of a portion of the means for imparting movements to the needle bar. 7

The machine shown in. the drawings comprises ,frame standards A formed with guideways for the vertical reciprocating needle bar B carrying the usual knitting needles C. The needle bar B is given its up and down movements by means of cams D carried by the main operatingshaft D of the machine, and links D and D and rocking arms D. Each of the rocking arms D is pivoted between its ends to the corresponding frame standard "A at D The links D are each formed with a slot 03 receiving the shaft D and have journaled to them rolls d and d engaging the top and bottom sides respectively of the corresponding cam D. The upper end of each link D is pivotally connected, in the particular construction shown, to a yoke D secured to a corresponding projection B from the needle bar B. Preferably, 'as-shown, each of the links D and D is formed in sections so that the effective length of each link may be varied. A spring D is connected to each lever or rocking arm D in such manner that its tension supplements the weight of the needle bar B tending to hold rolls (Z fii'mly against the correspondingcams D and thus avoid lost motion. As shown, the shaft D has secured to it atone end a spur gear D meshing with an idler gear E which in turn meshes with a gear F carried by the belt driven driving shaft F. The thread or yarn guides G are arranged in sets each set being carried by a corresponding slide H. The slides H are mounted in a rocking frame comprising a squared rock-.

ing shaft I and hangers I suspended therefrom. Each slide is connected at one end of the machine by a tie or connecting rod J to one end of acorresponding bell crank lever K, the other arm of which carries a roll K which bears against a corresponding pattern chain L. Each pattern chain L runs over and is moved in timed relation to the movements of the needle bar by a corresponding gear L carried by a shaft L The shaft L is driven by the shaft D through bevel gears'M and N. The sprocket gears overwhich the pattern chains L run are secured to the shaft L At the opposite end .of the machine a bracket 0 is attached to the shaft I. One end of each of a series of tension springs P is secured to the bracket 0. Each tension spring P is connected at its other end to a corresponding thread guide slide II and tends to hold the latter at "5. the right hand limit of its movement, as

which the rod R is connected to the bracket.

to be secured to the bracket at different distances from the axis of motion of the rock shaft Q. Advantageously, the eccentric disk Q, is secured to the shaft D by means, such as the set screws Q, which permit of the cocentric bcing set in different angular positions with respect to the shaft D and cams D.

' Advantageously, also, the connecting rod R comprises provisions whereby the length of the rod may be varied. As shown, this adjustment is made possible by forming the body of the rod R with threaded ends which may be screwed to a reater or less extent into threaded sockets fbrmed in the part B and in the part R at the opposite end of the rod containing the bearing for the stud 0 The machine described above is substantially identical with edging machines which have been extensively used for many years, except as to the means employed for oscillating the shaft I. I-Ieretofore in machines of this character the shaft I has been given its oscillatory movement by means of a cam carried by a shaft corresponding to the shaft D, and lever and link and spring connections through which this cam has effected and controlled the oscillatory movements of the shaft I. The improvement which I have made in themeans for oscillating the shaft I, has been found in the practical use of a machine equipped therewith, to ,be of very substantial value. The useof the improvement permits the machine to which it is applied ,to be operated at speeds much higher than have heretofore been possible of attainment with such machines. The increase in speed, and hence in output and capacity of the machine,-made possible by the use of the improvement, has been found in practice to range from fifty to one hundred per cent., depending on the conditions of use. This increase in capacity is mainly due to the decrease in vibration, resulting partly from the fact that with the improvement there need be no such capacity for lost motion as is inherent in a cam operated machine. Furthermore, the eccentric drive insures easier movements than is possible of attainment in practice with the old cam, lever, link and spring arrangement. The use of the eccentric drive with its easier movements makes it possible to dispense with the spring or springs which have universally been used in practice in connection with the cam drive for the oscillating shaft to reduce lost motion in a manner analogous to that in which the springs D are used. This in itself involves a considerable reduction in the friction and the resultant wear. The omission of such springs and the easier movements which are made practically possible with the eccentric drive, also obviate the tendency of the machine to make a slight backward movement under certain conditions when disengaged from its power actuating means. This tendency, in the practical use of edging machines as heretofore constructed, has been a frequent source of annoyance and expense, inasmuch as the backward movement of the machine throws the work off the needles and results in faulty work, and in an expenditure of time for putting the yarn or threads back in the needles. Another advantage possessed by the improved means for oscillating the shaft I, arises from the increased speed and ease with which the machine may be assembled and the parts set in the proper position to insure the proper time relation between the movements of the needle bar and the rocking frame. With the provisions described for adjusting the setting of the eccentric Q, the length of the connecting rod R, and the distance of the pivotal connection between the rod and the shaft I from the axis of oscillation of the latter in any desired adjust ment, the timing of the movements of the shaft .1 relative to the movements of the needle bar, and also the range of movement of the shaft I, may be speedily and easily adjusted.

While in accordancewith the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that under some conditions certain features of my invention may be used without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A machine for knitting edgings comprising in combination, a framework having guides, a reciprocating needle bar mounted in said guides, a rocking frame journaled in said framework and extending parallel to the length of said needle bar, a rotatable driving shaft journsiled in said framework, threadguide slides inounted in said rocking cams mounted thereon, connections through frame and means for reciprocating said which said cams give the needle bar its reslides. i ciprocatory movement, an eccentric carried GEORGE W. LINDLEY. by said shaft, a connect-ing rod operatively Witnesses:

connecting said eccentric and said rocking WARWICK P. Mm.n1:,'Jr.,

frame to rock the latter, reciprocating WM'. C; SELSOR. 

